1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a mobile communication apparatus having a roaming function that enables the mobile communication apparatus to use a communication service provided by plurality of telephone carriers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a mobile communication apparatus, such as a cellular phone, includes functions to make a phone call and a video-phone call, and to send and receive an email such as a SMS (Short Message Service) and a MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), when the mobile communication apparatus resides in an area where the mobile communication apparatus can connect to a base station via a radio channel. However, there is an inconvenience that the mobile communication apparatus receives the phone call and/or email even when reception of the message is not desired by a user.
Also, a mobile communication apparatus having the roaming function has been in practice use. For example, it is assumed that a user travels abroad bringing his/her cellular phone with a roaming function. In this case, if the cellular phone receives a phone call from another cellular phone in a home country and makes a phone communication with a user of the another cellular phone, both the calling user and called user bear the cost of the communication. However, if the user sets the cellular phone to refuse any reception without condition while the user is in a foreign country, a calling party has no idea when an outgoing call should be executed. Therefore, the calling party has to try to make outgoing calls many times.
As for a technique that restricts reception of an incoming call and email reception, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 10-173772 (Hirose et al) describes a communication terminal which allows for reception of the incoming communication from a specific person and within a specific time frame. Also, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2007-221593 (Watanabe) describes a reception control apparatus that refuses an incoming communication except when the incoming communication is received within a specific time frame, and further automatically adjusts a clock to a foreign time and controls the incoming based on the adjusted clock.
However, to avoid an unintentional incoming communication and to deter an occurrence of a calling rate while roaming, it is important to inform the caller that the apparatus resides in the roaming area and no reception is acceptable except for the specific time frame.